A Gentle Silence
by Amoralyn
Summary: How does he really feel about me? Does he want to be my friend, or more? And how long can I pretend that I'm happy with just being friends? You've adored Aone ever since you saw the kind heart behind his scary visage, but he doesn't seem to feel the same. You decide to find out once and for all…only for Aone to take you by surprise again.
1. Chapter 1

_"…__Aone-kun, are you happy with me?"_

Your question comes out quiet, much softer than you had intended. You had wanted it to come out self-assured, confident…but your courage had run out the moment you opened your mouth. As it was you'd practically whispered the words, and for a moment you wondered if maybe Aone hadn't heard you. After all, he is a fair amount taller than you are, and the two of you are walking down a busy sidewalk bustling with loud, excited students. But Aone stops in his tracks, just as you had right before you asked your question, and he looks down at you in surprise.

Of course he heard you…no matter how loud it was around or how he towered above you, Aone always heard you. He always listened to you. And even though he very rarely spoke, he'd always respond to you in his own way.

You stare hard at the ground before you slowly look up at him from the corner of your eyes. Your heart is beating hard against your chest, and your hands are clasped together tightly behind your back. You have no doubt you look as uncomfortable as you feel.

And then Aone looks down at you kindly, even with his face looking as harsh as ever, and he gently pats your head. You turn to face him completely, and he smiles at you. It's a small smile, but it conveys an amazing sense of warmth and gentleness. He leans down slightly so he can look you straight in the eye, and he answers your query with a decisive, strong nod. You feel a wave of relief, and you smile back cheerfully at him.

Then, you notice how close your faces are. Due to the difference in your heights, you're usually not this close to him. You feel your cheeks flush, and your heart start to beat faster as, tentatively, you lean closer to him…

But before you can get any closer he straightens up, giving you another friendly pat on the head before he turns back to looking straight ahead and starts walking forwards. You find yourself frozen in place, staring at the place he had just vacated with wide eyes, and you slowly turn your head towards him. He'd stopped walking, pausing to look back at you, and now holds up his wrist to show you his watch. His message is clear.

Time is running out before school starts, so you have to get a move on.

You sigh loudly, taking a moment to rub your red cheeks in annoyance, but you obediently jog towards Aone. He hadn't gone far from you. In fact, he never does. Somehow, despite the difference in your bodies (especially his long, powerful legs) you never have trouble keeping up with him.

Sometimes you liked to think maybe he slowed down just for you, but…well, Aone didn't think of you like that.

Three months ago, you'd started writing a love letter.

Two months ago, you'd finished that letter. You put it in a pastel blue envelope, sealed it tightly, and on the front wrote the name of the boy it was meant for…the boy you liked.

Aone Takanobu.

The letter itself was nothing really gushy (you hoped). In it, you just told him that you really admired him. In fact, considering you didn't mention the word 'love' at all, you could have even called it an admiration letter! Not that it made it any less embarrassing. You'd spent weeks writing the letter, and thinking about it still made you blush.

In the letter, you told him how you had come to watch one of their volleyball games, and you had seen him playing. You thought he was really incredible with the way he moved and jumped, and watching him block the other team's spikes had actually taken your breath away. He was truly amazing.

You quickly followed this by saying that you hoped this letter didn't displease him (or something equally awkward and overly apologetic, you'd rewritten the letter several dozen times and still found it impossible to write it like a normal person) and that you wished him the best of luck in his next game.

Two months ago, you'd put the love letter in Aone's gym bag.

You then went about your day, trying to pretend everything was normal with also trying to ignore the butterflies in your stomach as you desperately wondered what he thought about your letter. You had been afraid you'd have to wait until the train ride home or, worse, if he had practice this afternoon and you wouldn't see him until the train ride the next morning.

Unexpectedly, you caught a glimpse of him at lunch. There, in a table near the center of the room, Aone had been eating alongside the rest of the volleyball team. However, while they were laughing and arguing amongst each other, Aone was staring down intensely at his lunch.

Your heart had skipped a beat. Did that mean he was upset? Was he mad? Was he afraid you were a creepy stalker or something?

Your fearful thoughts were then interrupted by one of your friends pointing out a table on the other end of the lunch room. You had followed them as they headed towards, trying to hide your fearful expression. Even worse, the path to the table took you closer to the volleyball team's table as you had to pass them to reach it.

And that's when you realised Aone wasn't staring at his lunch; he was staring at his lap…where his hands were rightly clutching your letter! And although his expression had looked harsh and angry from far away, now that you were closer…you had seen his cheeks were a little red, and it looked like he was trying hard to suppress a smile.

"Hey, keep up will you?" One of your friends laughed good-naturedly, and you realised you had lagged a bit behind.

"Sorry!" You said sheepishly, as you quickly walked forwards to keep up with them. It took all your willpower not to skip, and even more not to look back at the table.

"Hey Aone! What you got there?"

You heard a playful voice ring out from the volleyball table, even through the loud, rowdy noise of the room, and you and your friends looked back at the sudden voice. You saw a roguish looking boy with light brown hair, moving his entire body over the lunch table to try and see what was in Aone's hand. Aone quickly folded up the letter and put it in his pocket, looking away from the boy with a stoic expression. The other boy pretended to pout in disappointment, before he burst out laughing and started asking Aone if he'd brought dirty magazines to school or something.

Your friends laughed, and turned away. You had no choice but to follow them, although you did wish you could stay longer…luckily though, you got to see him again.

You road the same train to get to school as Aone. You got off one stop after he did, and he frequently got on earlier or later rides than you due to the team's many volleyball practices, but you still got to see him a lot.

On the ride home, you had seen him sitting a few feet away from you (the seats next to him were unoccupied as always, as you frequently tried to work up the courage to take one of those seats and always failed miserably) and reading the letter with a fierce, intense concentration. It wasn't a long letter, since you had stressed over every word, but he was still reading it when he stepped off the train so he must have been reading it again and again. He still maintained his focus too, as he nearly walking into the door while he was getting off the train due to being so distracted.

The thought that he liked the letter had made you so giddy you'd skipped home.


	2. Chapter 2

You waited a few weeks before you sent the next letter.

You'd never have thought you'd have the courage to send another letter, after all the worrying you went through with the first one, but this was one you knew you had to send.

After all, watching him play volleyball was what made you admire him…but it was what you described in the second letter that had made you love him.

In the second letter, you had started off by telling him that you knew he was a really kind person, even though he looked angry a lot. You even admitted to being a little scared of him at first. But then you saw what a good heart he had. A little while ago, a pregnant woman stepped onto the train, and the only available seats were by Aone. She had looked really anxious getting on the train, and seeing the last seats she looked even more nervous. For a while it seemed she was thinking about standing up, rather than sit next to Aone. You were going to offer your seat, but then Aone stood up. She looked even more upset as he approached her, but then he offered her his seat. The lady was surprised, but she thanked Aone and took his seat. After that, Aone walked off to the other side of the train and stayed standing, all the way to his stop.

You told Aone that you thought it was really kind of him to give up his seat so that women wouldn't be so upset anymore. He hadn't seen it, but after he had left the woman had tears running down her face, although she was still smiling. You told him that you thought she must have been having a tough time, and that act of kindness really meant a lot to her. You admitted it made you admire him even more than before (you hadn't been able to write 'love' no matter how hard you'd tried). At the end, you even made a little joke and told him you hoped he didn't mind that you didn't find him so scary anymore.

Once again, you snuck the letter in his gym bag again and ran off before anyone could see you.

Unfortunately this time, you didn't get to see him all day. Your friends dragged you out for lunch, and you didn't want to tell them just yet about your letters to Aone, and by the time you got back everyone was already getting ready for class. And the volleyball team must have had practice because you didn't even see him on the train going home. You were disappointed, and very nervous. What if he had practice again tomorrow morning? What if he didn't eat lunch in the cafeteria? What if, what if…the worries ran through your head. What if you didn't see him for a month and he forgot your letter so you never knew if he liked it?

You don't know if that's better or worse than seeing him reading your letter in the next few days with an upset look on his face.

It was a long night, and you barely got any sleep from nerves. You woke up, ate breakfast, and walked to the train station with a listless, yet anxious, expression on your face. Your nerves only got worse when you got on the train, and sat down across from the door Aone usually entered from. You tried to look calm, as you pulled out your phone and pretended to be busy.

Finally, you came to Aone's stop. You watched as people filed in, and you tried to ignore the sinking of your heart as you didn't see him among the crowd. It was just tapering off, the doors about to close…when you caught sight of him.

Stepping onto the train, Aone barely avoided walking into the door. His eyes were completely focused on the piece of paper in front of him. Your letter. He sat down on the closest empty seat, and immediately went back to reading (not even noticing the man in the seat next to him getting up and going to another seat). His face was flushed, and he even though he was covering his mouth you could see he was really smiling. He looked really happy, and that made you really happy too.

And that moment had been when you made the decision to confess.

It had taken all your courage just to tell your friends, since you desperately needed their advice, so you hadn't been very confident in your ability to talk to Aone. Luckily, some of your friends had confessed to boys in the past, and they gave you a lot of advice on how to talk to him. Your other friends tried to help too, although their advice amounted to 'just kiss the boy'. You imagined talking to Aone would be awkward enough without you having to jump up to try and surprise kiss the huge boy.

Your friends also helped you to write your third, and probably final, letter. Even with their help, and it being the shortest, it still made you even more anxious than writing any of the letters before. Finally, you decided to just be straightforward. In the letter, you told Aone that you wanted to meet him face to face. You wanted to talk to him, and you didn't want to hide behind letters anymore ('It makes you sound fierce!' your friends had told you). You asked to meet him at lunch, so he wouldn't have to worry about practice, at the bottom of the stairs leading to the roof, so they wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted.

It took a few days of deep breathing and your friend's encouragement, but you finally had enough courage to do it. You styled your hair into something nice and simple (or at least something that looked simple, despite taking a ridiculously long time), put on some modest make-up, and tried to make your school uniform as pretty and stylish as possible. You didn't look too fancy, but that was how you liked it. If you were going to do this, you were going to be yourself when you did it.

You went to school and rode the train as usual. Aone must have had morning practice, since he wasn't there. You were a bit grateful, actually…you had been nervous enough as it was.

When you got to school, you snuck the letter in his bag again.

You ran away quickly, although it was less because you were afraid of getting caught and more because you were afraid you'd end up running out of courage and taking the letter back before he had a chance to see it.

Then came the waiting. The terrible, terrible waiting.

Lunch seemed to take forever to come, and you were practically shaking every minute until it did. You were so nervous you asked your friends if maybe you shouldn't go, but they quickly put that thought out of your head by telling you if you didn't show, he'd think someone was playing a prank on him. And that might mean he'd think all the letters were pranks, and there's no way he wouldn't be hurt.

As nervous as you were, you'd never do anything that would hurt Aone.

So, finally, lunchtime arrived. You took a (lot of) deep breath(s), while your friends enthusiastically cheered you on and 'subtly' directed you to the door leading to the stairs to the second floor. You pumped your fists, trying to keep yourself determined. You could do this!

At least, that's what you were thinking before you walked through the door, and started heading up the stairs. Then, the doubts began to creep back into your mind.

What if I'm not what he expects? What if he thought I'd be prettier? What if he's disappointed?

All of these questions swirled in your mind as you pushed the door to the second floor open, and looked across at the final door. Behind it was the stairs to the roof. Behind it was where you were going to confess. You felt your heart beating hard, as you grabbed the handle of the door. You couldn't help but dread now having to wait for Aone to show.

Because what if he didn't?

You shook your head hard, and then before you could talk yourself out of it you pulled the door open.

All your worries immediately disappeared…as you saw him already standing there. He was standing straight up right in front of the stairs, staring at you intently as you stepped inside and let the door swing closed behind you.

In his hands he was holding your letter. You noticed they were shaking a little. Somehow the idea that he was nervous too…made you less nervous. Your hands, which had been shaking a little as well, calmed down a little.

You had taken a deep breath, and bowed respectfully to him.

And then you introduced yourself to Aone for the first time.

Even after straightening up, you had stared at the floor the entire time. You didn't want to look up and see his expression just yet, not until you'd finished.

You admitted to him that is you were the one who sending him letters. You quickly apologised for all the secrecy and hiding behind your letters, and but you quickly explained it was because you were so shy. You told him you really did like him, and you'd meant every word you'd written.

Before you could stop yourself, you revealed, out loud, that you admired him for both his strength and his kindness. You thought he was a truly amazing person.

You had then winced in embarrassment for saying something so corny.

Stammering in mortification, you felt your cheeks turn bright red. Any possibility of you admitting you wanted to be his girlfriend was gone. And so, you finished your speech by saying that you'd really like to be friends with him.

Then, there was silence. It was this deep quiet, and you felt your stomach coil unpleasantly. Did he dislike what you said? Slowly, you flicked your eyes up to his face…and were amazed at what you saw.

Aone's face was turned to the side, away from you, and he was using his large hand to try and cover the lower half of his face…it didn't quite work though, since you could clearly see how hard he was blushing. Even the tips of his ears were red! As if he sensed you were looking at him, his sharp gaze had turned back to you. His face reddened even further, and he immediately looked away again.

"So…would—would you be like to be friends?" You asked softly, twiddling your fingers together nervously as you looked down at the floor.

He nods quickly and decisively, staring at you very closely. You breathe a deep sigh of relief, and can't help but smile cheerfully. You hold your hand out, but Aone's staring at your face so intensely he doesn't notice for a few moments…after he does however, he quickly offers you the hand he tried to cover his face with. Now, you can see that he's smiling, although it looks like he's trying not to, funny enough.

You take his hand happily, marvelling in how large it is (even using both of your hands, his still easily dwarfs yours) and you shook it enthusiastically. His hand was warm, and it felt strong…but also incredibly gentle. You gave him another bright smile.

"Well then…here's to a new friendship, Aone-kun!"


	3. Chapter 3

That was a month ago. One month since you 'confessed' to Aone-kun, and the two of you became friends.

In that month, you and Aone had spent a lot of time together. At the start of the day, if he didn't have practice, he would meet you outside your front door and walk you to the train station.

Afterwards the two of you would sit together on the train. Aone's face would light up every time you sat next to him, even if soon afterwards it made him shrink away and look worried. Eventually, you realised that his expression meant 'Do you have enough room?', and simply telling him you had more than enough room would be enough to calm him down.

Finally, the two of you walked to school together. Your classes were different, so Aone would always walk you to your locker before waving goodbye and heading to his own class.

Usually you would eat lunch with your friends, and he with his. Your friends enjoyed teasing you about your crush on Aone, but they would never do that in front of Aone or his friends, and you had a strong suspicious that a lot of Aone's teammates were a little afraid of girls. As such, your friends and his didn't eat together. And with all the time you spent with Aone, you were glad you spend some time just with your friends, especially with all the help they'd given you.

However, sometimes (usually if the volleyball team had morning and evening practice) Aone would find you right at the start of lunch and 'ask' (usually with his expression, gestures, and a bit of guessing on your part) you to have lunch just with him. He'd take you to the roof or the back of the school, somewhere with as few people as possible, and you'd sit down and eat, just the two of you. It was always very relaxing, with comfortable silences neither of you felt the need to talk during, and Aone's always calming presence. Sometimes you'd speak up, telling him a funny story or something interesting you'd learned, and although he almost never spoke back, he always looked like he was listening very closely to every word you said.

As well, he would offer you just about every part of his lunch, no matter how often you politely declined, until you teased him about how, as a growing boy, he had to eat more than you did. At this point he'd try and cover his face again to hide how flushed it was, and you'd laugh and pat his knee good-naturedly (which just made his face redden even more). You offered him some of your lunch to try, be he always got a worried expression, like he was afraid if he ate this small piece of your lunch you wouldn't get enough to eat. You couldn't help but laugh, knowing there was someone who worried as much as you did.

At the end of the day the two of you would ride the train together again, and Aone would walk you home. At first you had thought this would only be when he didn't have practice afterschool. However on the first day you'd walk home alone since you'd confessed to him, Aone caught you just before you were about to leave.

You were immediately concerned, since his expression was more worried than usual. When you asked him what was wrong, he looked down for a moment before looking back up to you and pointing to the gym. Immediately, you realised he was asking if you would watch the volleyball team practice. You had been surprised at his forwardness but also extremely happy, so of course you quickly agreed. The look of relief on his face was obvious, and as you followed him to the gym you couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to his request.

The thought returned to you again later when, despite how tired he must have been from practice, he insisted on walking you home

And that was your relationship with Aone. He very rarely spoke, and his changes in expression could be hard to understand, but it wasn't long before you were able to tell, or at least had an idea of, what he was trying to 'say'. You were very close. You were very good friends. You were happy.

That's what you told yourself. That you were perfectly happy just being friends. You ignored the way your heart beat faster every time you saw him, the way you looked forwards to every moment you spent with him and hated leaving his side, the way he literally stole your breath whenever you saw him play volleyball, the way just being in his presence made all your worries and fears disappear for a little while, and the way you could never stop thinking about him.

You did everything you could to ignore the fact that you had fallen for the strong, kind, silent giant.

It was hard…but you had to. Because you were afraid he didn't feel the same way.

During the previous month, during all the time you'd spent with Aone, he had only touched you a few times, and even then in the friendliest, most non-romantic of ways. He'd pat your head if you were worried or upset, and he'd tug on your sleeve or tap your shoulder if he wanted to get your attention, and once he'd even grabbed your arm and pulled you back when you hadn't been paying attention and nearly walked into traffic…although he had immediately let go and had looked extremely uncomfortable the entire way home.

And he seemed to like you touching him even less. Whether you touched him in a friendly manner, like patting his shoulder, or in a more intimate way, like taking his hand or hugging him, he would get that same extremely uncomfortable look. His face would turn red and he'd look away, and you'd give a fake laugh and apologise (struggling to hide how upset and ashamed you felt for distressing him) and immediately stop touching him. After this had happened a few times, you had made sure not to touch him again, even innocuous touches that you'd do with your friends. After all, you really didn't want to upset someone as kind and caring as Aone.

And then sometimes you'd see him with his volleyball friends. He'd never quite introduced you, and in fact made it seem like he wanted you to keep as far away from his team as possible, but they all seemed to know who you were. One in particular, the mischievous looking boy you now knew as Futakuchi, would always call you 'Aone's girlfriend'. Aone would immediately get angry at him, like the idea actually offended him, and would quickly get lead you away.

Aone just didn't seem interested in being anything more than friends. And if that was all, you'd hope that it would have been easy to accept just being friends.

But then, Aone did things that made you think that maybe, just maybe, he did have romantic feelings for you.

Like the way he would blush and look really happy whenever you teased him. But that could also just him being friendly. There was also how you'd sometimes catch him staring at you, even from across the lunch room, only for him to look away immediately. But he did tend to worry about his friends, so maybe he was doing that to make sure you were okay? And then there were times when guys would flirt with or tease you, and then suddenly run off. Later, you'd find out they said it was because Aone was glaring at them. Although most people who didn't know Aone well thought he was glaring at them even if he was just trying to say hello…

So in truth, you were a little confused and conflicted. Did he like you as a friend, or something more? Did he want to be your friend, or your boyfriend?

So many questions, and you knew the simplest way to get answers would be to just ask him but…you couldn't. You were afraid. Really, really afraid. You could end up ruining the close friendship the two of you had, or you could make him uncomfortable again, or you could…

The possibilities ran through your head constantly. It was incredibly vexing, and what was worse was you knew the frustration was your own fault. You couldn't bring yourself to ask him straight out, no matter how hard you tried or how many times your friends told you it was the best way to solve your worries.

But at the same time you didn't know how much longer you could pretend everything was okay and you were happy being friends and it didn't feel like being stabbed in the heart every time you touched Aone without thinking and he looked like he was going to be sick.

And then you had an idea.


	4. Chapter 4

It was ridiculous, like something out of a dumb romance novel, and you knew it. But you were sure it could work. Maybe. Hopefully.

Naturally, you were extremely nervous about this plan, especially since it did require you to be dishonest to Aone. But this was your chance to finally get an answer.

Still, you wanted to try at least one more thing before using your idea.

"…Aone-kun, are you happy with me?"

You asked him when the two of you were walking to school. And he patted your head and smiled and nodded…just like a friend would. At least he had turned away before you embarrassed yourself any further and actually tried to kiss him.

Now you're walking at his side silently as people and students happily bustle around you. The school is in sight, and you can see students rushing through the doors.

It's time. You couldn't put it off anymore.

On the sidewalk, a few feet in front of you, there's a piece of stone that sticks out. People trip over it every day, and you did so once a week until a concerned Aone made sure you were always walking on the side that didn't have the rock. Although it had never seriously hurt someone, it still amazed you that the school or the city had done nothing about it.

Before you could chicken out, you run forwards. "Aone-kun, let's hurry!" You turn back to call to him, as you keep running. You see him give you his usual small, gentle smile, the one that makes your heart beat faster, before his eyes suddenly open wide. He reaches out for you, rushing forwards, and even after all the times you've seen him playing volleyball, you're surprised by how fast he moves his large body. You think you hear him calling your name, and you feel his fingertips just brush your shoulder…but it's too late.

You're already falling away from him.

"Ow!" You cry out, as you end up falling on your front. Luckily, you had managed to angle your body so you ended up falling on the soft grass beside the sidewalk. It still hurt though.

You hear your name being called again, and you look up to see Aone's concerned face above you. His eyes watch you anxiously, and you can tell he's trying to see if you're okay.

"I'm fine, Aone-kun! Lucky me, I landed on the grass. But…um…my ankle kind of hurts…" You say shyly, rubbing the back of your neck awkwardly. It wasn't hard to act embarrassed and awkward, since that's exactly how you felt enacting your 'plan'. "I think I twisted it when I tripped over the rock…" You say quietly, looking down at your ankle where it's sprawled out near the rock you tripped over.

"Ah…Aone-kun, could you help me up? This is embarrassing, but…I think I may need help walking." You whisper softly. You ignored the strange looks people were giving you and Aone, as you focused completely on him. You tried to ignore how hard your cheeks were burning, because now that you were actually doing this, it was really becoming apparent how ridiculous and pathetic this plan was.

The idea behind it was for you to see how Aone reacted to having to hold your hand. If he helped you up and immediately dropped it, you'd know he didn't like being close to you at all. But if he held you hand and didn't let go…maybe you could bring yourself to ask him how he felt.

You hold out your hand to him, trying to steady it when you realise you're shaking to the tips of your fingers, but you don't have to wait long. Aone immediately takes your hand, holding it firmly yet gently. You feel your heart beat even faster…until you see he's not pulling you up. In fact, he's coming closer to you. You blink in surprise, obviously confused, when you feel his other arm come around you and slide underneath your hips.

Your eyes widen in shock, and you feel your mouth fall open. Okay, so this was definitely not what you were expecting!

In a smooth, effortless motion, he picks you up, bridal-style. One arm is under your knees, while the other around your back, holding you securely. His hand is still grasping yours tightly as he looks down at you. His eyes are blazing with a burning determination you've never seen from him up close. Rendered speechless, you can only stare up at him as he starts running to the school.

"Move!" He yells out to some students blocking the doorway, and his deep, powerful voice makes them back off instantly. He squeezes your hand tighter, like he's telling you not to worry, as he runs in and heads in the direction of the nurse's office. He only stops when he reaches the door, and urgently knocks on the door with the hand still holding yours. You look behind you, and of course everyone is frozen in place and staring at you. You turn back, feeling your face grow incredibly hot.

And you had thought asking him if he wanted to be more than friends would have been embarrassing. At this point you were so humiliated you wanted to crawl into a hole and not come out for a week.

Worse, even that couldn't match how terrible the guilt from doing this made you feel.

"Aone-kun, I'm so sorry…" You whisper softly. You have so much more you want to say, but the words stick in your throat.

"…Don't worry." Aone speaks gently. He looks down at you and gives you a comforting smile, and it just about breaks your heart.

"Yes? What is it?" The nurse opens the door, and Aone immediately rushes in. He quickly puts you down on the first available bed he sees. He gives you a concerned look (Are you okay? Are you comfortable?) and the moment you give him a weak nod, your stomach still rolling with guilt, he turns back to the nurse.

"Wow, this early in the morning? Was it that rock on the sidewalk across from the gates?" The nurse sighs loudly, muttering under her breath about how the city needed to get that fixed.

Aone nods urgently, and motions towards your ankle on the foot you'd tripped over the rock on. He stands over you anxiously, and you realise, through all of this, he's _still_ holding your hand. He had never let it go.

Suddenly, you feel tears running down your face.

You hear Aone call your name again, and he squeezes your hand again. You feel his other hand on your back, rubbing it soothingly.

"Does it hurt that badly?" The nurse speaks up, her tone now concerned as she steps towards you.

"N—No, no, I—I'm sorry, I'm not hurt, I—I—" You stammer, struggling to get the words out. Your eyes dart to Aone, who's usually so composed, and you see he's practically shaking, looking down at you with distressed eyes. Then, your gaze goes back to the nurse. You stare at her with a guilt-ridden expression, and suddenly a look of understanding dawns on her face.

"…I'll give you two a few minutes. But when the opening bell rings, you have to go to class. Alright?" The nurse's tone is stern, but her eyes are sympathetic. You nod quickly in agreement, and the nurse draws the thin curtain surrounding your bed to give the two of you some privacy before she steps out.

Aone looks confused, staring in disbelief at the spot where the nurse left, and you squeeze his hand gently so he returns his attention to you.

"Aone-kun, I'm sorry. I was so stupid. I—I tripped on purpose…my ankle doesn't even hurt." You admit quietly. You sniff loudly, as more tears start to trickle down your face. "I'm so—"

You're interrupted as you feel something on your face. Aone brushes your tears away and lightly strokes your face. His large hands are so gentle, and his fingertips caressing your skin makes you feel pleasantly warm.

"Don't cry." He murmurs softly. You look up to him, and are stunned by his sincere, caring expression. He strokes your face for a few more moments, until you finally calm down a little. The tears have stopped, although your breathing is still occasionally interrupted with loud, raspy gasps. Now that you're calmer, he looks at you with an expression of curiosity.

You understand he wants to know why you did all this.

"I…I didn't know if you liked me as a friend or—or—" You choked on the words, but Aone squeezed your hand gently, encouraging you. "You didn't seem to like touching me, or being touched by me, so I wanted to see if you would hold my hand if I was hurt so so—so I tripped on purpose. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. It was so stupid, and you got so worried for nothing. I'm an idiot. Aone-kun I'm so sorry, but—but please! Please don't stop being my friend! I know I did something really selfish and I like you different than how you like me, but I promise I won't do anything like this ever again! And I promise my feelings won't be a burden to y—"

You're interrupted again by Aone, but this time…by his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

Your eyes open wide as you feel his lips pressing gently, but firmly, against yours. His lips are soft, and very warm. You feel his hand shaking as it grasps your hand tightly. At the same time, he softly puts his free hand against your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin while he kisses you. Your heart beats wildly against your chest, and after an incredible few seconds he slowly pulls back. His face is bright red, to the tips of his ears, and he can't look you in the eye, but you've never seen him look so happy and embarrassed at the same time. His lips are trembling in a small smile.

You stare at him in disbelief; you mouth once again hanging open. You quickly close it, before opening and closing it again, gaping like a fish. Finally, you just do what you should have done in the first place, and ask him honestly.

"Y—You…Do you like me?"

Aone nods decisively without any hesitation whatsoever. There is no doubt in his eyes as he now stares into yours.

"Like…you…you like me as more than a friend? You like me…romantically?"

His face grows even more flushed, and he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, but he nods again even more strongly than before. Several thoughts are swimming through your head as you struggle to comprehend all of this. You want to give in to the overpowering joy his words gave you, but you hesitated.

You had more questions, and at this point you knew you had to ask them.

"So…why did you avoid touching me so much before today?" You asked curiously. You shyly put your hand up to where he'd put his hand on your face. "I…I really like when you touched me, but it seemed like you really hated it…"

Aone's expression turns oddly sad, and he looks down at his free hand. He flexes it unsurely, and then looks to where his other hand holds yours, as gently as possible. It was almost…careful. A concerned expression appears on Aone's face again.

"Were…were you afraid you might hurt me?"

He looks up at you, and then nods slowly. He looks so sad, so dejected, that it nearly breaks your heart. So this was on his mind the entire time…the fear that with his immense size and strength, he could accidently hurt you. Of course, this was not something you had feared for even a second. You stroke the back of his hand with your thumb soothingly, now trying to encourage him. He gives you a small, appreciative smile, although it quickly disappears as he suddenly speaks up.

"…I didn't want you to be scared of me." He whispers so quietly, you almost weren't sure you really heard his words.

"Aone…I would never be scared of you…I know you'd never hurt me." You say softly. "You're a gentle person…and I'm not made of glass, you know." You smile, your voice taking on a teasing tone. "You don't have to be so careful around me." You smile warmly, and to your delight it seems to have the desired effect, as Aone expression looks relieved as he smiles back at you shyly.

Suddenly, something else occurred to you. "But…you were also really uncomfortable when I touched you, right? I mean, that's why I stopped, because it looked like you really disliked it…" You look up at him unsurely.

Now, expression quickly turns into an embarrassed one, as his face turns the brightest red you've seen yet. He turns away from you completely, staring at the ground.

"Whenever you touched me, it…it made it really hard…" He pauses, and you swear you see him blushing right up to the tips of his ears. "H—Hard to not touch you back."

Now it was your turn to blush furiously. You can't help but wonder whether Aone knows how incredible his deep voice makes those words sound. It feels like your entire body is heating up. Quickly, you distract yourself by asking one more question.

"So….why did you get so mad when your friend called me your girlfriend?" You ask curiously.

Immediately, his expression turns annoyed, although clearly not at you. It quickly dawns on you that Futakuchi must tease him a lot, and probably not just while you were there.

"…He wanted me to confess." Aone mutters indignantly. So his friends weren't so different from your own. Futakuchi, despite his mischievous, teasing nature, clearly cared about Aone. You wondered if Aone drove his friends as crazy with his inability to admit he wanted more than friendship with you as you had with your friends for Aone.

"But…" he continues suddenly. "I thought you might be offended…being called my girlfriend."

"I would never! I—I was actually really happy when he called me Aone's girlfriend!" You exclaim quickly, squeezing his hand tightly, before your cheeks redden even further. "Sorry…that—that was too much, right?"

Aone gives you a small smile as he shakes his head. He holds your hand tightly, as he leans towards you. His face is close to yours, so close you can feel his breath on your skin. He looks nervous, like he wants to ask you something. Your heart is beating so hard you can barely breathe, and for once you don't try to translate what he's trying to tell you.

"W—Will you b—be my…" He pauses, and you can feel his hands trembling. Words really weren't his forte, but actions certainly are. Before you even realise what he's doing, he kisses you again. This one is harder than before, more passionate, and when he pulls back slightly you can feel his hot breath wash over your still tingling lips.

"Yes…" You say softly, still breathing deeply from the kiss. "I'd love to be your girlfriend, Aone-kun!" This you declare exuberantly, not realising how loud you are, as you throw your free arm around his neck and hug him tightly.

You hear a loud coughing from outside, and you pull back immediately, Aone suddenly standing up straight, as you both remember that you're not really alone. His face is red, and this time you're quite sure it's from embarrassment.

"Classes are going to be starting soon. Will all _uninjured_ students please leave as soon as possible?" You hear the nurse call out clearly, while also obviously trying to stifle laughter.

"Ha, it sounds like it's time for us to go." You laugh self-consciously. You swing your legs off the bed, and stand up easily. Your ankle does hurt a little, but it's nothing a little time and rest won't fix. It's a good reminder of something else you should mention.

"Aone…" You say gently, and he quickly looks down at you, listening attentively. "I promise you…no more stupid plans. I'll always be honest with you."

He blinks in surprise, then smiles happily. He nods, and points to himself. He promises the same (more likely the 'being honest' part than the 'stupid plans' part).

"So! Are you ready?" You ask Aone, looking up at him. Your faces are both still very red, but you have a feeling that won't go away for quite a while. He raises his head to nod, and then suddenly stops. He holds up his free hand and raises his index finger. 'One moment'. You nod, happy to wait for whatever he needed to do. Then, he lets go of your hand.

It surprises you how odd it feels having it let go of your hand after holding it for so long, but you make sure not to look even the slightest disappointed. After all, you've put him through a lot today. You're about to step forwards, when he grabs your hand again.

This time, he interlocks his fingers with yours. You look up at him in surprise, and then down at your hand gently being held in his. Your hand is completely dwarfed by his large, powerful one.

It feels warm. Safe. Comforting.

Just like how Aone always makes you feel.

"…Feels nice." He says softly.

It takes all your willpower not to start crying again. He didn't have to say that out loud, but he wanted to make sure you knew his feelings. And those words said a lot more as well. You smile your brightest smile at him, and you see him blush even more.

He looks at you closely, his eyes darting down to your lips, before they dart away. It looks like he's trying to stop himself from kissing you again. Although being kissed again doesn't sound so bad to you (at all), his face is already bright red and you're probably using up the last of the nurse's patience.

You laugh, and gently tug his hand as you lead him out from behind the curtain. You both sheepishly wave at the nurse, who's still grinning like she's trying to hold in raucous laughter, and bow respectfully as you thank her for her kindness and understanding.

"Don't worry about it. I always enjoy helping young love along." She smiles kindly. You and Aone straighten up at the same time, your faces getting even redder (if that was even possible, when even now you were hoping to stop looking like a tomato by lunch), and the nurse laughs as she waves goodbye to the two of you.

Taking a deep breath, you squeeze Aone's hand tightly. Together, the two of you step out into the hallways.

As friends. As companions. As boyfriend and girlfriend.


	6. Happy Birthday Aone-kun! (Bonus Chapter)

Author's Note: Decided to do a small piece for Aone's birthday. The entire story has been pretty fluffy, so I thought I'd add some spice~ Mildly NSFW content below!

—

"Aone-kun!"

She called out to him, waving enthusiastically, as she ran forward. Her dazzling eyes, always so bright and expressive, were practically sparkling with excitement.

"Happy Birthday, Aone-kun!" She says, smiling sweetly. Her smiles were so beautiful; they often left Aone completely stunned, leaving him frozen in place. And of course his favourite ones were ones like this…smiles meant only for him.

He nodded thankfully to her, returning her bright smile. He tried to look grateful as well, happy that she'd remembered his birthday.

"Ah! I have a special gift for you. Here!" She hands him a box covered in white wrapping paper. It's a bit messy, but that just adds to its charm. After all, it's clear it was wrapped by his precious girlfriend's own two hands.

He can't help but smile brighter, his cheeks flushing a little, as he gives her a thankful look. She beams happily, giving a cheery 'You're welcome!'. She always understands what he's trying to say, another thing he adores about her.

He gives her a shy, questioning look, and she quickly nods. "Yes, please open it!" She exclaims happily, bouncing up and down in excitement.

She was so cute. He wanted to kiss her badly, but he forced himself to wait until he at least unwrapped her gift.

So he gently pulled back the wrapping paper, careful not to mess it up too much (he wanted to keep the box and the wrapping his girlfriend had done herself as pristine as possible so he could save it). Excitedly he opened the box…only to find it completely empty. Blinking in surprise, he looked around at every corner, wondering if he had somehow missed it.

He looked up at her with a questioning expression, before suddenly freezing in place.

When had she taken her pants off?!

"Sorrrrry…the present was just a little distraction…from the real surprise." She smiled cutely, as she started unbuttoning her shirt. Already, he could see her bra and panties. They were cute, and the same white as the wrapping paper.

Aone's eyes were wide with surprise, before his entire face turned bright red. He started stuttering her name, trying to say something, and she looked at him quizzically.

"What's the matter, Aone-kun? It's your birthday, right? Doesn't it make sense we'd be in our birthday suits for it?" She asks, her tone light and innocent. "I mean, you're already there…"

Aone looked down.

When had he taken _his_ pants off?! And his shirt?! And his—-

Finally finished with the buttons, she let her shirt drop to the ground. In nothing but her cute, frilly undergarments, she stepped close to him, pushing her chest against his.

"Are you ready for your birthday present, Aone?"

"!"

—

Aone sat up suddenly, his chest heaving and his heart beating wildly. He put a hand on his face, feelings how hot it was. He looked around wildly, but saw only darkness. He was confused for a moment, until he realised he was sitting on something soft.

His bed. He was in his bed.

It had been a dream.

Aone let out a deep sigh. He wasn't quite sure if he was relieved or disappointed…on one hand, he was afraid he was going to pass out from seeing his girlfriend like that. But on the other…

Suddenly, Aone realised his face wasn't the only place he felt uncomfortable hot. He looked down, and covered his face in embarrassment with what he saw. Looking away from it shamefully, he grabbed a box of tissues from the table beside his bed.

Well, at least it wouldn't take long. After that dream, he was halfway there already.

—

"Aone-kun!"

He froze, his hand still moving to close his locker. Quickly, he pinched himself…just to make sure it wasn't a dream this time.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the pinch clearly. Happily, he turned to see his girlfriend weaving through the bustling students of the hall and heading for him.

"Ah! I finally found you!" She said happily.

He bowed his head slightly in apology. He would have walked her to school, but he'd had morning practice.

"No need to apologise! It just means it took a little longer to give you…this!" And she presents the box she's been hiding behind her back.

It's a box with white wrapping paper, a bit messily but very lovingly put together.

Aone feels his face flush. No…it couldn't be…not in a crowded hallway! Not where there were other guys all around…

"Aone-kun…are you ready for your birthday present?" She says softly, as she holds the box out to him.

Now, it's time for the blood to drain out of his face…and head downwards.

"S—S—Sorry!" He cries out, unexpectedly loudly. He sees people staring at him, but as long as they're not between him and the men's bathroom (on any floor but the one his girlfriend is currently occupying), he doesn't care.

"…That was odd." You say, blinking in surprise. "Futakuchi-san, so you know what that was about?"

The tall boy next to you shrugs. He looks like he wants to laugh, but he also looks as confused as you are.

"…Maybe I should have taken the volleyball out of the box before I wrapped it…" You sigh.


End file.
